Food was on plan yesterday and I'm back in the 140's this morning by the tiniest bit. It has been since July before we left for my niece's wedding. Anyway of course my plan is to keep that going and get down to 135. My houseguest left a little bit ago. Her knee still causes some pain, but the scar is barely noticeable and she is walking well after just 5 weeks s/p total knee replacement. We had the Sea Bass last night and I didn't really like it. It tasted greasy to me. Dh is returning from a business trip mid morning and Otis and I will be glad to have him back.
Curlyjax: What a crabby window washer. I guess he doesn't want any referrals.
Bill I don't have tater tots often, but I used to love them. My niece bought frozen sweet potato tater tots when she was here and they were pretty good.
Penny Most of the time I eat at least some of my exercise points or I would be too hungry too. I have been amazed how little my friend eats. She is a little bit overweight, but very short. Thank goodness I get a bit more than she does.
GardenerJoy I will have to take a look at Land's End as you and Curlyjax suggested.
Maryann Your vacation sounds wonderful. I love active vacations so you can actually enjoy a little food too.
Time to get moving and get Otis out for a walk. No hiking today, so that will be most of my exercise.
Yesterday was on plan and my fast days are upon me, as well as work.
I ordered some fancy scale that will measure muscle % and other stats. Maybe I'll be able to see changes I don't see otherwise.
Bill, tater tots definitely require more restraint than a boiled potato too. Oil and salt are exciting.
Curly, that window washer sounds like a jerk. My work let us know even though we are not testing weekly, to still get tested for symptoms or high risk exposure because vaccinated people across our company have still gotten covid. Sigh. It must feel good to get stuff taken care of around the house.
I had a helpful meeting this morning that was partly about community organizing but, at the end, allowed time for commiseration over the modern medical system. That made me feel remarkably better!
Settling in after I arrived home. Excellent vacation but so glad to be back in my shower, with my chair, etc. . . Hopefully SIL and I will have many more journey's together as we seem extremely compatible.Plus, If I hung around her more I would REALLY be in shape. It is really amazing is she is 8 years older than me.
On the way home I listened to The Telomere Effect. Telomeres are apparently the part of the cell that are responsible for aging. We want long ones not short ones. The long ones of course develop with all the things we know about healthy living, food and exercise. Two bits I will take away are the following:
1. Losing weight does not lengthen telomeres. In fact diets (restrictions) are notorious for shortening them because they create "weight cycling" or yo-yo. This weight cycling is what creates metabolic syndrome which DOES matter. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist and high cholesterol. This confirms I am on the right track with sticking to a program of healthy tweaks that will last a lifetime for me. Have to say I am not being noble though because I can never restrict amounts what I eat anyway. I am incapable.
2. I will endeavor to look at stressful events ( such as school) as exciting challenges. This allows the body to process the stress hormones in a healthy way apparently lengthening the telomeres. So I won't say "Oh Goody, distant learning!" but "Thanks, Body for adding the cortisol which will help me problem solve today's adventure. No judgment."
Anyway, I like new takes on what seem to be the same material. It keeps me intentional.
Saturday- Mount Tambora erupts "the year without a summer" (1815, Sumbawa, Indonesia)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Spent the whole day trying to finish gathering numbers to send to my accountant for this year's taxes. Running a bit late; counting on the generous one month extension of the deadline. I grow to like doing this less and less each year. The only good news is that immersion in the numbers helped me spot a couple of expenses that I'm paying each month that I can discontinue. I fall into that category of folks who start a service and then don't tend to cancel it even after I'm done with it.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was our annual New England Boiled Dinner: corned beef with boiled potatoes, carrots, and small onions. Served with my favorite Trader Joe's course mustard. It's almost a St. Patrick's Day dinner, but we never seem to align. Or only align enough to get the corned beef on sale around that day. I did enjoy being reminded that "corned" was used because the slaughtered beef was put in barrels with rough salt granules called "corns". It was cheaper than fresh beef, which must have been difficult to buy before refrigeration was common.
Excitement was removing the old car seat in preparation for installing the new one. What's left behind is disgusting enough that DW might just run through the car wash so those guys have to vacuum it all out. Hard to believe that that many Cheerios can fall and be forgotten.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for finding solidarity about dealing with the modern medical system.
maryann - Welcome back from your adventure. I'm a big fan of finding a way to prevent telomeres from losing their length. Kudos for finding some notions to bring calm into your life.
Karen (karenrn) - Was delighted to learn that "s/p" means: Status/Post - referring to the condition after the event. Apparently, everyone on the planet except for me already knew this. Neat that Otis gets your DH home again.
curlyjax - What a grumpy window cleaner. Hard to believe that he stays in business. I do enjoy that moment when my windows seen almost transparent again.
Penny. - How I wish this wasn't true, "Oil and salt are exciting."
Readers -
Quote:
Success Skill 3Eat Slowly, While Sitting Down and Enjoying Every Bite
Here's what to do: . . .
3. Make time. Figure out when you are going to eat each meal and snack, and rearrange your schedule, if necessary. You may need to wake up earlier so you can slowly eat breakfast at home or run errands after work instead of during your lunch break.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 63.
Today's adventure is our first vigil in months. St. Louis County has increased gathering size limits from 10 to 30. We're usually less than that and can split up, if needed. We'll be outside, masked, and keeping six feet from people that we don't live with. And, a big improvement from our last vigil -- many of us are vaccinated!
It's raining, which will likely keep our numbers down. But, I'm going to dress appropriately and consider that a good thing because it will give us a week to get the kinks out of the process, since we're out of practice.
I'm up and showered, waiting for DD to drive home from college. She's signed up for a vaccine at a big stadium site today and wants me to drive her. I don't think we'll be there on time I have pre registered my son. Not sure how DD got on the list but she says a lot of college students are already vaccinated which is good anyhow.
I've been sleeping terribly, waking up from hot flashes much more than usual. It's odd because I was fine for most of the day, then they started increasing towards late afternoon. Ugh, these hormones. My weight seems to be magically down a bit. Although I've been having some cramping so I'm freaking out imagining cancer. I guess its not so unusual during perimenopause. I guess that's all I need to share about my body for today Bill- I'm so glad you mentioned the taxes, I'm once again late with mine. Cheerios are amazingly crumbly and sneaky. Maryann-glad you had such a nice time. Really interesting about the telemeres. Penny- that scale sounds cool. yikes about those vaccinated folks getting covid. Karen- yay for back in your 140s. Greasy fish does not sound good. Gardenerjoy-yay for returning to pre-covid activities like vigils!
Yesterday was on plan. I woke up too early and could not get back to sleep so I'm considering doing my exercise before work. It would be nice to get it over with, especially on a fast day.
It will be a puttering day with yard work and a few other to do lists.Weight wants to stay in the 70s and I really need to persevere to drop in the 60s. I will feel much better. I will plan my meals today around the Daily Dozen app. and food shop accordingly.
Penny: Congrats on a OP day.Getting a workout in early is my favorite box checked. Curleyjax: DS just got signed up for his vax. Interesting to me they are focusing on the college kids but friends my age still can't get anything. BBE: Cheerios always bring back memories of the Cheerios Playbook which had little slots to fit the Os in for counting and animals. Marketing for the young is so very effective Gardenerjoy: Good Luck with the vigil.
Food was on plan yesterday and weight is holding. Dh is glad to be back home and of course we are glad he is here. He does a lot around the house. I think the only thing I forgot to do was to put water in the Keurig but that was no big thing. I did get the garbage and recycle out on the appropriate days and I picked up the mail (once). I hiked with a friend this morning but she is very slow so I have to think of it as really just visiting time. I know it's very important to keep up my friendships though. I've changed my plans for the Tahoe backpack. They still had space on the 4 day hike at the end of June and my friend said let's just start with them and extend it. I didn't want to drive over there for 4 days, but it will be great for 8 or more days. We'll start on the east side head north and then over to the west side. We're heading to Sedona for 3 days on Thursday, so we can talk about it then.
Maryann Oh I just dream about weight dropping off like it did in my 20's, but of course I am not interested in doing those unhealthy diets anymore. Penny You're having a nice streak. Curlyjax Magical weight loss sounds like a wonderful thing. GardenerJoy I hope the vigil goes smoothly. Bill I had to go back to my previous post to figure out why you were talking about s/p. I guess I am so used to using that terminology from being a nurse that I forgot that it may not be so common. Your corned beef dinner sounds so good. I've had a Reuben in the last few months, but we didn't have a corned beef dinner for St. Patrick's Day.
I got an email with lots of instructions for the upcoming backpacking trip. They even want to know my training schedule. I also have to go to the doctor and have her fill something out. Luckily I was able to get an appointment for Tuesday and she knows my activity level and backpacking experience. Anyway, all this is to say I have plenty to plan, do and work on in the next couple of months. I hope you all are having a great weekend.
Sunday - Bob Dylan makes his 1st appearance (1961, Folk City, Greenwich Village)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Walked, CREDIT moi, to the dentist's office to get a statement of last year's payments for my accountant. I only had one cleaning last year; I normally do four cleanings a year. Ouch! My poor teeth suffering from the pandemic. "The earliest we're giving appointments is July!" Apparently, I'm not the only one. So, I have my slot booked. Their web site tells me to sit in my car until they call me on my cell phone to come inside. While there, I saw one dentist walking to the front dressed in full hazmat with full face shield over his mask. Kinda frightening, actually. But teeth cleaning is like exchanging body fluids.
Exercise was setting up the stakes and fence for our Snow Peas in the community garden. Our next door neighbor happens to be our next-garden neighbor also. She was there in a chatty mood. I became the hero when I figured out how to turn on the city water when the other folks there said that it couldn't be done. "Plants need water," DW keeps repeating. She gave them what they needed.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. We ate dinner on the patio for the first time this year. That's pretty special. DW's plants are all looking Spring-ish - alive and hopeful. Birds are everywhere: Robins, Crows, Nuthatch, Woodpecker, Cardinals. Only the Blue Jay was missing. And Sparrows who are in abundance in the shrubbery in front of the house. Dinner was dahl, baguette, Bok Choi (near the top of the good-for-you veggie list), and green salad.
The two metal bed frames that we'd put on the curb have been taken. Just love it. Curbside give-and-take is one of my favorite parts of city life. I always dream that the person who took them actually wanted them - not just recyclers looking to make a coin.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Neat that gatherings size is relaxed to 30 people - a hint at back to normal. Yay for rain; I remember that.
maryann - Good Grief! The Cheerios Playbook is still being sold! Glad that I missed that one. Yay for a puttering day.
Karen (karenrn) - Fun to think of an eight-day backpacking trip. That's a lot of gear to haul. I drool at the thought of a Reuben sandwich - my favorite.
curlyjax - Such good news that your DD got a vaccination slot. Their allocations seem to be a tad random. Hope you return to getting good sleep.
Penny. - Ouch for not being able to get back to sleep with Kudos for using the time for exercise.
Readers -
Quote:
Success Skill 3Eat Slowly, While Sitting Down and Enjoying Every Bite
Here's what to do: . . .
4. In the beginning, eat without distractions. Try eating alone. Turn off the TV, computer, and phone. Do this for at least three days in a row until you have become accustomed to eating slowly and noticing every bite. It's important to practice this skill even if you have to go out of your way - for example, by eating separately from your family for a few meals. But isn't it worth a few solitary meals if it means a lifetime of weight loss?
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 63.
DD ended up driving herself to the vaccination station although I didn't know that until she was actually there. She got the Moderna and will end up getting the next shot right before finals which isn't great timing, but ah well. We had a very nice time yesterday and ended up watching a dumb movie together. We do much better when neither of us are stressed.
I didn't really have a plan for eating yesterday but ended up a light dinner anyhow with a few cookies from Whole Foods. I had swiss chard -another one of those healthy greens Bill!-and salmon. I ended up buying some tofu as I need some other protein ideas and need to figure out what to do with it now.
I'm working towards getting a kayak and as a first step am arranging to get a roof rack put on my car to carry it. Then I have to get a kayak attachment thing. Then the kayak. I hope this isn't crazy, its all going to cost a lot but I live very close to a few places I could kayak and its such an easy thing to do in, even right after work. Life is short, and its something I can use a long time.
Today is paperwork, making something healthy for dinner and some kind of errand to get myself out of the house. And a walk. Oh geez, and I have to find my short sleeve shirts for work, its getting warmer. Bill- I thought of you as I cancelled some things i'm not using, like my Acorn streaming membership. Yay for the community garden hero! Karen- wow, those trip organizers sound very thorough. sounds like a good idea so folks who aren't prepared physically are weeded out. Maryann-Here its open for everyone over 16 as of April 19, but its still hard to get a vax appt. The college kids seem to have been spreading it so its great they're getting vaccinated anyhow. Penny- great idea to use the extra time for exercise.
Yesterday was on plan. My new scale gave me the same weight as the old scale and now I have an app that records it and shows me the trend. Hopefully it will show a downward trend.
I have two patients today and they both pushed me to see them later in the day. If it's an outpatient appointment, you take what you can get but with home health people seem to think they can negotiate or dictate when I come. I start at 8 and can't see anyone until 11, which means I'll be working late. Whine, whine.
The vigil went well. I came home feeling cold and damp but a change of clothes, a cup of herbal tea, and a hot lunch fixed me up.
Exercise +25, 355/1400 minutes for April
BillBlueEyes: My current favorite sign of spring is a spring peeper in our yard. We don't usually get them close enough to hear, but I guess we had a wet enough spring to create a few attractive puddles for tiny frogs.
Yesterday's food was a box checker! Credit. When I eat all the good stuff there is not much room for anything else which I guess is the point. I did not get my last serving of legumes ( hummus) in. I did make a large batch of taco soup with black beans from the Instapot. That will be lunch all week. I also made my groat/lentil bowl and added a dried mix coconut, golden berries and mango into the Instapot while everything cooked. That will be breakfast every morning. I did some research on the computer and found a Dr. Greger "seven box check smoothie" which I drank. Finally, I ordered his new cookbook. Credit for putting energy into planning for success.
Today I am getting out to the yard which I did not do yesterday. It desperately needs help. I will also hit the recumbent bike for an hour.
curleyjax: a kayak is on my to do for this summer. Let's swap info. BBE: I also like up cycling to people who need things. I find less and less desire to go to retail stores and would like to stick to thrift/vintage. Karen: that is very exciting about your trip. My SIL is training for the entire Tahoe Rim Trail as well. They are going for a three night in Catalina this week. Penny: Frustrating that people don't value your time. Gardenerjoy: glad the vigil went well.
Saturday- Mount Tambora erupts "the year without a summer" (1815, Sumbawa, Indonesia)
I have pre registered my son. Not sure how DD got on the list but she says a lot of college students are already vaccinated which is good anyhow.